Basketball

Colorado State intends to interview Becky Hammon for coaching job but knows hiring her won't be easy

Matt L. Stephens

Posted:
03/08/2018 10:43:55 AM MST

Colorado State intends to discuss its men's basketball head coaching vacancy with Becky Hammon, a university source said.

Hammon, considered the greatest women's basketball player in CSU history, became the first female full-time NBA assistant coach when she joined the Spurs' staff in 2014 and served as San Antonio's head coach during the NBA Las Vegas Summer League in 2015, winning the summer title.

Should CSU hire Hammon, she would become the first female coach in the history of NCAA men's Division I basketball.

While CSU has high interest in Hammon, 40, the university realizes hiring her will be a challenge. Not only does she appear to be on track to become the first female head coach in NBA history, bringing her back to her alma mater would likely come at a pay cut, the source said. CSU athletic director Joe Parker said Friday he doesn't anticipate that the new coach will be compensated at a rate competitive with the top of the Mountain West, the way Larry Eustachy was. Eustachy's salary was $985,012 this past season and he was scheduled to get an increase to $1,004,712 in 2018-19. Parker added that he expects CSU to pay the next coach better than the conference average of about $650,000, however.

Advertisement

Parker, asked about the possibility of hiring a female coach, said, “I'm not closing the door on any thought.”

CSU has not contacted yet Hammon or any candidate regarding the job opening.

Eustachy, 62, who was on contract through 2020-2021, resigned Feb. 26 amid turmoil as CSU was conducting its second investigation into his behavior in four years. He'll receive a $750,000 settlement as part of a renegotiated employment agreement. The Rams (11-21) finished their season Wednesday with a 76-65 loss to Utah State in the Mountain West tournament.

CSU is paying Fogler Consulting $25,000 to assist in finding its next coach.

Billionaires, entertainers and athletes alike announced their intentions to pursue the Los Angeles Clippers with varying degrees of seriousness Wednesday, proving the longtime losers will be quite a prize if the NBA is able to wrest control of the team away from Donald Sterling after his lifetime ban for racist remarks. Full Story

Louie, who (like Louis) is a New York comic and a divorced father of two daughters, knows struggle and angst and cloudy wonderment. He views life through eyes with a stricken look, dwelling in a state of comfortable dread. Full Story